Earlier this month I had a privilege to attend a Youth Volunteering Forum organized by Mzuzu Youth Office. Among many speakers that presented was United Nations Volunteers representatives were among those that spoke to my heart. In a nation where people, especially the youth do not understand what volunteering is all about, I felt the message that was shared at that forum should not be just for a few that attended by to all that are curious about volunteerism, and there is no better audience that the newly recruited CorpsAfrica Volunteers.

Amid the high employment rates being experienced by the youth in Malawi, the notion of volunteerism can often be vague. It can be tempting to volunteer for the wrong reasons. People can volunteer because they have nothing else to do and because they are just curious to find out when the work begins. True volunteerism does not depend on whether you have other things going on in your life, it’s about the little voice inside of you that tells you there is something you can do to change a bad situation. It a passion and it’s a personality. It doesn’t matter where you are, it doesn’t matter who you are. It’s a will to do something for your country, for your continent without expecting anything in return.

As much as you don’t need to have expectations, this new role you are about to embark on will literary change your life. You will grow in ways you never thought you would, and you will overcome things you never though you would. This new role will allow you to be as creative as you can get and you will discover at least one potential that you never thought you had.

May you contribute to the greatness of Africa, and I wish you the best service.

Ten months down the line, wow!! Seems it was only yesterday since I became a CorpsAfrica/Malawi 2nd cohort Volunteer serving in southern part on Nkhatabay district, north of Malawi. How time flies! Well, Volunteering is best known to many as an act done for the benefit of others, but that’s not to say you can’t take away a lesson or two along the way. The six most invaluable lessons i have learnt from my volunteering experience include:

1. EVERYONE HAS A STORY

The ten months I have stayed in my community has been full of adventure. I have met very unique people with a story to tell. These are stories of who they are and how they came to be where they are. While it’s important to remember that each person has their own unique narrative, it’s just as important to respect, appreciate, and take the time to understand this narrative. Volunteering has taught me a very important skill of being empathetic while appreaciating every individual's unique narrative of their stories.

2. SMALL CHANGES CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT

As a volunteer, I have come to the understanding that simple actions can have a big impact in the lives of people who do not have much. Listening to the stories of different people brings much deeper connections. Donating clothes or a tablet of soap might not seem enough but I have seen how people can be appreciative of the little things we consider not much.

3. SMILES ARE UNIVERSAL

While the fear of meeting new people and experiencing a new culture could be real at times, what I have come to learn is that smiles are universal. If you’ve a simple smile, you can permeate language, cultural, economic, or other barriers and can relay the message that you care. When in doubt, flash those pearly whites.

4. GRATITUDE

Volunteering experience has taught me that in everything appreciation with gratitude is key. A deep appreciation of all that I have in life and helping those in need is a firm reminder of what really matters - like family, friends, and health.

5. VOLUNTEERING IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

As a volunteer, I have learnt many things and skills that are key for my personal and professional growth and development. I have Developed new skills, discovered new passions, gained new insights about myself and the world around me.

6. ONCE A VOLUNTEER, ALWAYS A VOLUNTEER

Volunteering has taught me that the reason i have two hands is to use the other for helping myself while the other is for serving others. The things i have learnt will forever be a part and parcel of my life. The greatest lesson i have learnt is that if one thinks serving others is below him/her then such a person need to know that leadership is way beyond him or her.

For someone who has never spent a week in a village, I really consider my village experience with CorpsAfrica as an achievement. I believe I can do anything and can adapt to any environment, and that is more empowering for me. I learnt to speak a language and follow customs that I never thought I could.

Making friends, brother and sisters was also one of the enriching experiences in my village. I learnt to be more patient with people and I have developed more empathy towards strangers. You might think you don’t know someone but understanding their lives by and by will help you know that you know everyone, I mean you can relate with everyone. Our struggles might be different, but the common thing is that we all have our struggles, that’s the starting base.​I have grown personally and professionally but, I so much like that I have matured emotionally too through my volunteer service. From learning how to fetch water, cook some special meals, gardening and storing farm produce, I have learnt to appreciate the diversity that Malawi enjoys. Through it all, how I would wish that every change in Malawian communities was approached with empathy and patience. At least for sure we agree that we cannot use parameters that work elsewhere to measure success somewhere else. I have learnt that progress in community development in rural areas of Malawi should be assessed based on their own efforts and not based on the expectations of outsiders.

​Now ask me, was it easy? Not at all, but it was all worth it. I could relive this experience over and over again. As I’m concluding my service, I’m just on my window thinking how much I will miss this place. It hurts but I am glad I made a difference, no matter how minimal. Talk of little wonders!

Yup! It's official. I love fish. From the beautiful patterns embroidered on the skin of the cichlids to the deliciousness of Chambo and usipa (these are types of fish), not forgetting their natural habitat, Lake Malawi and the wriggling of the tails when they swim in the lake! I am in awe of God's creation. My community is the best place to learn about fishing. A couple of things you need to have for you to go fishing:

1) The lake (of course). Chipoka has the best part of Lake Malawi so come through.

2) A boat. You can use a canoe, or the boats powered by fuel. Boat rides are phenomenal, and we have beautiful shores in Chipoka, so your guess is right, come to my site for a boat ride!

3) Fishing net. Now, do not use a mosquito net. It traps small fish that need to be given ample time to grow and breed so that our lake does not run out of these beautiful creatures. ​4) Clay rocks. You will need rocks that are made from clay that are later burnt to make them firm and last long. The use of these rocks is quite fascinating and intriguing. The clay is mixed with water to mold round rocks that are later burnt. Then comes the interesting part. The size of the rock shows the type of fish that is to be caught. The smaller the rock, the smaller the size of fish. Fish such as Chambo and butter fish are caught using big rocks.

Fishermen use the rocks to support the fishing net once it has been suspended into the water. The outer ends of the fishing net are connected to the rocks and once the net has been thrown into the lake, the net is held to the ground so that it does not float back to the top of the lake. Brilliant! My host mother is one of the pioneers of this business in my site. She has been molding these rocks for more than five years now. My host mother sells the rocks from K10 to K50.

She has been able to buy iron sheets for her house from this business and she is able to provide food for her family. Sometimes the fishermen exchange fish for the rocks so it is a win/win situation. Fishing is rampant in my area and I am glad that the fisheries department is doing all it takes to make sure that fishermen use the right fishing mechanisms so that our fish species do not become extinct in our lake. So, if you feel like fishing is a calling to you, let me know. I will dish out all the things I know about fishing, but you will have to come fish in my site, Chipoka.

Meeting new people is not very difficult. Getting to know people and maintaining a relationship with them is not difficult either, but it's rather challenging. This is why I am happy when I make a long lasting impression on people enough to make them my friends. When I first came to my community I was clueless on how to make new friends. When I volunteered to teach at the local primary school I wasn’t sure the children would like me enough to make me their friend and welcome me in their lives outside of school.​Months later, I am happy to say I made so many friends at the school and more particularly Kristopher, who has been a friend throughout my service. I met Kristopher at the local primary school and he has since become a good friend. Kristopher is a sixteen year old standard 6 boy who has taught me that no effort is too small to bring change and happiness in one’s life.

​Kristopher is a third born of five children. He lives with both his parents and four siblings. His family relies on farming for both food and income. His father owns over 10 acres of land and uses about 2 acres to grow maize, vegetables and cash crops like cassava, sweet potatoes and groundnuts.

CorpsAfrica Volunteer and Kristopher in a tomato garden

Kristopher inherited over 3 acres from his late grandparents. He made a choice to farm on the land to help provide for his family’s needs as well as his own. He pays his own school fees and buys farm necessities and basic household necessities.

Last year, Kristopher harvested 11 bags of maize but gave it all to his father because he did not harvest enough to sustain the family. When I asked him why he gave up all his harvest he simply said “He is my father, there is nothing I would not do for him”. I knew that those words though not many, they were embedded with so much love and respect.​Kristopher’s family makes me feel welcome into their home and frequently take me to their farm. He brings me fresh food from the farm and shares with me his hopes and dreams; for his future and his family. I love the support I get from them and most importantly the life lessons I am gaining from my new friend.

Ten months have passed since I was allocated to my site and it has been quite an experience. As I live every day, I notice that I have developed some new characteristics that I never had or characteristics that were weak but now are strong. Despite the challenges that I face, I am glad that I developed these characters and excited to talk about them.

Firstly, I have noticed that I love to greet people more than I usually did. People at my site do not just pass by one another without greetings. During my first days I would pass by people, but they would always greet me. No matter how many times I tried to just pass quietly they would greet me. Then as time passed I also learned to greet everyone I meet at my site. Nowadays even when I find a chance to go to town I find myself greeting people on the way which is strange, because in town you cannot greet anyone.

Another characteristic I have developed is tolerance. Since I came to my site, I have been helping out at the nursery school. This is something I never imagined doing. I always wondered how teachers manage the kids that want to do something else when the teacher is trying to teach. I thought that I could not manage to do so but to my surprise, I did. During my first days I could give up easily when the kids were playing when I wanted to teach them, with time I learnt how to engage the kids and I started enjoying the lessons. Other situations like community members coming three hours after agreed time used to affect me a lot but I have found a way around them. These situations have helped me develop tolerance.

There is also a certain mannerism that I have observed to have developed. Most of the people, especially elders in my community hold their right-hand wrist with their left hand, whenever they want to greet someone or when handing something to another person. This is done to show respect to the other person. I have also developed this mannerism, when greeting people or giving something to a person. This mannerism was not developed deliberately but I just noticed that I do the same whenever I greet people or hand something to another person.

There are many things that I have either started or stopped doing because of my close interaction with community members at my site. I am grateful that I could have these kinds of experiences as a CorpsAfrica Volunteer.

Helping nursery school kids learn how to write also developed in me tolerance and patience. A great way to learn.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chauncey Simba - from May 2018

"Achieving victory over others in a competition or receiving a prize or reward for achievement" – that's how the dictionary defines the word winning. As the dictionary, most people, especially men into sports, will say that in order to win there has to be an opponent to beat. However, some of the most meaningful wins of my life were victories over no other person or team (and I have played competitive basketball for years). I can remember winning when there was no prize for performance and those are some of my most highlighted wins in life. I can tell you so many countless wins I have with CorpsAfrica during my service in Mzimba. Here are a few.​One of my first experiences of winning with CorpsAfrica occurred in April after my Grassroot Soccer Camps which involved about 130 children from around my site. I won the hearts of these children after those camps, so I call this a big win for me in Mzimba. Nearly every day, after the camps I have had many of these children greet me with a big smile and introduce me to their parents and friends. Some of these kids come and spend time at my house, help me with some chores like drawing water from the borehole, and play games and have fun together.

The fact that I'm here doing a service with CorpsAfrica at all is another win I like to count. And finding someone to work with me out here who doesn’t want anything in return. My CorpsAfrica service would not be the same if it weren’t for a Peace Corps Volunteer, Kevin. I found Kevin already here (Mzimba) and he is working on many numerous projects. We met and started working together especially on HIV/AIDS programs together with our local clinic and schools around here. Kevin is a hard-working person determined to make a difference and working hand-in-hand with him motivates and helps me to work hard. So, to work with him is a big win for me.

All my projects in my community have to go through my VDC (Village Development Committee) first, in fact all my projects come from my VDC. Be able to work, trust and be trusted, believed, and respected with these people is the most tremendous victory in my CorpsAfrica service. I'm just a young man among elders who is on the forefront together with the community leaders to bring change to thousands of lives in my community. I am so grateful for these people and I feel so special to be part of this community. ​There are many numerous examples that will clarify what winning means to me, especially with CorpsAfrica. I find it hard to define winning as a way to compete with others and get a reward at the end and being in my community has helped me see that. Being able to positively achieve a lot of wins to better someone's life every day is what is most important. I'm a grateful Volunteer and I am so thankful for the wins I'm achieving with my community through my CorpsAfrica service.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chauncey Simba - from December 2017

Life in the community has begun. Every day seems to be a learning day and yes learning never stops. Most Volunteers would agree that the second month of service is spent conducting meetings with various community committees and stakeholders, as well as conducting surveys. I took advantage of the surveys to try and find a counterpart (a person interested to work with me in the community work).​It is difficult - especially in the rural areas - to find someone who is championed and willing to work with a Volunteer on development with nothing to benefit for themselves in return. I tried to work with a couple of people that didn’t work out before I met a young man named Foster, who is now my counterpart. A lot of these people assumed I was going to be giving them a little something at the end of their time, for the help they were giving their community, and when I made it clear this was voluntary work most of the them were no longer interested.

​I first met Foster during one of the days I was conducting surveys at his parent’s house. He offered to translate some of the questions I was asking his father in Chitumbuka since I wasn't that good in the language yet. It was helpful, and I asked him if he would be willing to help me translate for the rest of the surveys. He was very eager and willing to help. ​Since then Foster has helped me enjoy my time and learn a lot of things in this community. We usually hang out every day and he is helpful when it comes to development. With his passion for development he has committed to help his community by being my counterpart and he wants to see his community develop for the better, while asking for nothing from me in return.

I believe if a lot of young people were committed to being on the forefront in development works of their communities there would be a lot less for me to do as a Volunteer coming in. Instead there could be volunteers within the communities impacting other young men and women on how they can better help themselves and their community develop. This young man, Foster, with a heart for development has changed me as a youth to take the lead in development not just as a Volunteer, but as a citizen of the nation. They say, "young people are the leaders of tomorrow," but I guess the tomorrow is now. We need more young people to be champions of development in their local communities as this young man named Foster.

Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Chauncey Simba - from November 2017

I arrived at Pre-Service Training in Dedza together with four other Trainees from Lilongwe about a month ago. I was so excited about changing my life and I believed this opportunity to be a Volunteer came timely. I thought to myself that this was a chance for me to prove to myself how helpful I could be and was an opportunity to change the life of someone in a rural community.

Now Pre-Service Training is over. Volunteers had a great time together, spent a month learning everything like how life will be in their host communities. We made good relationships and we believed we were a great team.

​After our Swear-In Ceremony, Volunteers had to leave for their perspective sites. The journey begins now, work awaits in the field, and it was time to experience the real world. I was excited and at the same time afraid of what the community would be like - and the fact that I couldn't sleep the night before I left for my site made it worse. I was thinking and imaging how my community would be, how they would treat me, and how they would work with me.

I arrived at my site together with fellow Mzimba Volunteers - Hope and Khwima - with excitement, a good feeling, and nothing but love for my new community. We were warmly welcomed by the chiefs, the school teachers and our host families. It was an exciting moment and I felt to myself that I was indeed the young man this community has been waiting for.

A few days later, after I was settled, it was time for me to face reality. I had never been to this side of the country and actually stay here, had never spoken the Chitumbuka language before, and I had no option but learn the language. I became to feel overwhelmed, upset, and irritated much of my first days in my new community; I had no idea it would be this hard. What made it hard was the language, I only knew how to greet someone, and I was embarrassed to talk to people around. This was an unfamiliar environment for me where language ruled.

Well, things changed dramatically for me when one of my landlord's sons showed up on my door one day and greeted me with a language I grew up with (Chichewa). He came to check if I needed anything. And yes, this was my opportunity. He was a guy who could help me learn the language and my way around here. I found a best friend that day, and although I had felt frustrated for a couple of days this day I felt so excited and hopeful. ​Since meeting my landlord’s son I have felt at home and I love that I'm learning the language. It is making my work easier, and I'm so grateful for that because now I can understand and speak a little bit. The journey has just begun, walk with me!

My typical day as a Volunteer revolves around giving out my time and energy to the people in my community. It is hard to pin point all my projects and activities that I'm doing in Dedza east currently, but below is a basic run down of my day. Hopefully this will give you a sense of what life is like as a Volunteer with CorpsAfrica.

07:00 am RISE WITH THE SUNI mostly start my day at 7 o'clock. I wake up, take a cold bath (something you get used to after a while), and dress for the day. Usually my outfit is a piece of cloth (chitenje) and a T-shirt of some kind, along with comfortable shoes. This is something I get dirty in playing with the kids. My breakfast is always something simple, bread with peanut butter\potatoes, or cereal. This small meal keeps me fueled up and full throughout the day.

08:00 am OUT OF DOORIn the morning I arrive at the Hunger Project, our partner organization. This is where my office is as a Volunteer and where I prepare for the day. What I prepare depends on the kind of activities and assignments I have for the day, whether its writing proposals, filling out my Google forms reporting, writing a blog, teaching at the primary school, or working with the youth.

10:00-01:00pm THE MOST ENJOYANLE PART OF THE DAYI jump on my bike, heading to the school or the community as a whole. I work with Roman Catholic primary school where I teach life skills and agriculture in grade 5. I also help with marking and assignments if the teachers are busy and plan more lessons and other activities. This is always a win\win for me, I get to help with the school and at the same time enhance my skills and gain confidence.

02:00to 04:30 BACK AT THE HUNGER PROJECTThis is the usual time we have lunch as co-workers. In total we are six. Three from the loan department, two guys (Chris and Fannel) and a girl (Georgina). And then me, James (my site mate), and Abraham the epicenter officer. Me and Georgina do the cooking and we eat together as a group. This is the best experience of my life as a Volunteer. Making friends and sharing our life time stories. After lunch, it’s time for the youth friendly group. We discuss issues concerning HIV\AIDS, give career talks, and talk about entrepreneurship. Sometimes we perform dramas and music for the people in the community. This is part of our entertainment as well as education for the people.

06:00 DINNER WITH MY HOST FAMILYI head home, we prepare dinner together, and we usually listen to the radio at this time.

08:00pm WINDING DOWN FROM THE DAYHaving a goodnight sleep with a smile on my face.

Volunteering with CorpsAfrica has been a great experience for me. I'm learning a lot and discovering a world I didn't know existed.

The Home of Hope Orphanage offers education opportunities to boys and girls from kindergarten all the way to vocational school. One common pattern that has been observed within these opportunities for students is that girls perform poorly in class more than boys.

When I had a chat with the secondary school girls, I asked them why they do not perform as well in school as their male counterparts. These girls gave several reasons, one of them being because the school does not allow them to have group discussions with boys. They said boys are more intelligent and if they could have discussions with them after school they could also improve in their studies. At first I thought they were joking, but the girls insisted that they seriously believed that it was a concrete reason.

The longer I’ve stayed at the orphanage, the closer I’ve become to a female form three student called Faith, who seemed to be different than other girls. She showed a lot of confidence in her ability to do well in class, she talked of her determination to get very good grades and make it to the college of medicine after her form four exams.

One day the secondary school head teacher showed me Faith’s school report and it was amazing. The girl got distinctions in most of her subjects (and mostly science subjects). The head teacher told me about how Faith always remains in the top two of the class, asks teachers what she has to do in order to make it to the college of medicine, and also tells the teachers the challenges she faces with her friends because of her high performance in class. The head teacher said that sometimes she comes to the staff room with tears in her eyes because of what her friends have said to her.

Despite all her challenges, Faith says that she will keep on working hard because she knows what she wants to achieve, and she will not allow peer pressure to change her focus. She chooses to be different even if her friends do not like it, and she helps out fellow students that need help with their studies.

"He who brings sunlight into the lives of others cannot keep it for himself." – African proverb.

Most of the young people who have volunteered with CorpsAfrica are probably in agreement with the words of this proverb. By giving their time, commitment, talents, and their whole heart to the local community, Volunteers have learnt a lot and have discovered their own potential and abilities.

It was hard to tell for the first few months how one could benefit from being a volunteer. Nine months down the line and Volunteers can now tell how they have benefited, especially from the relationships they’ve made with their community members. For example, Volunteer James says, "Before volunteering, I didn't have the reason to believe that both me and my community could benefit from one other, but now I know it’s possible".

It is not only James who did not know how volunteering could benefit both his community and himself; a lot of the Volunteers didn't realize this.

Volunteer Shyreen said, "Volunteering has helped me discover some things that I'm good at as well as develop new skills that I have learnt from the rural community I'm living in. Giving my time and energy to my community has given me a sense of satisfaction and empowerment knowing that I'm making a difference in other people's lives. This service will also offer me an incredible networking relationship, through my partner organization – The Hunger Project. I'm developing long lasting personal and professional relationships that will empower my life and give it a purpose."

Shyreen with kids from her village

​Some of the Volunteers believe volunteering can bring a sense of empowerment to the individual dedicating their time to volunteer. This sense of empowerment can look like personal growth or knowledge that Volunteers gain while making a difference in their communities. At the beginning of their service, the majority of Volunteers did not have any idea how they would interact around their host community or how they would benefit in terms of personal growth.

"Before I became a Volunteer, I used to doubt my abilities and my potential, but through the challenges I’ve faced during these past nine months, I must say I have really spread my wings. I've grown as a person and I now believe in myself more. So yeah, volunteering has empowered me. I've been more independent and self-reliant. I don't regret becoming a CorpsAfrica Volunteer at all," says Volunteer Caroline.

Caroline with kids from her village

​There is no doubt that a lot of Volunteers have so many positive things to say about their CorpsAfrica experience. These young people have gained a deeper understanding of both their communities and themselves. In my community I can say I have learned that people may sometimes need guidance with dignity rather than total dependency on others. I encourage you to become a volunteer, bring change, and make a difference for Malawi. The community is waiting for people like you!

A soccer ball, simple but very powerful. Have you ever wondered what magical power soccer possesses that makes people so obsessed with it? Well, knowing how powerful this sport can be, we organized a girl’s empowerment camp where Peace Corps collaborated with CorpsAfrica to deliver the most powerful Grassroot Soccer (GRS) camp at Tukombo Girls Secondary School from 5th -9th July 2018. By definition (from their website) GRS is an adolescent health organization that leverages the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize youth in developing countries to overcome their greatest health challenges, live healthier, more productive lives, and be agents for change in their communities. GRS connects young people with the mentors, information, and health services they need to thrive, and empowers adolescents to make educated choices about pressing health challenges such as HIV/AIDS, sexual health, gender-based violence, and malaria.

Before the actual event at Tukombo Girls Secondary School in Nkhata Bay district, 25 Facilitators including six volunteers from CorpsAfrica, six volunteers from Peace Corps, 11 local teachers and one medical doctor from Kamuzu Central hospital gathered for a 2-day preparation workshop at Sambani Lodge in Nkhata Bay district. After two days of preparation and teach backs we headed to Tukombo girls where we were warmly welcomed by 200 young girls including 175 girls from Tukombo Girls Secondary School and 25 girls from Kalowa Community Day Secondary School.​GRS developed the “SKILLZ” curriculum, which focuses on using the world’s most popular sport to help boys and girls adopt healthy lifestyles. Through a series of interactive activities and discussions, students from both Tukombo and Kalowa gained an understanding of HIV and AIDS. Key topics included avoiding risks, building support networks, increasing knowledge about testing and treatment, addressing gender issues and fighting peer pressure. Perhaps one of the most important features of the SKILLZ curriculum is that it provides young people with a safe space to talk in places where both HIV/AIDS and their victims have historically been stigmatized.

Students enjoying a warm up activity

At the end of our intervention, 200 girls graduated from the program and each one of them went home with a certificate, a 2-metre long cloth called chitenje in Malawi, and a menstrual pad (that they learned to sew themselves - a necessary skill that will allow them to be able to make their own re-usable sanitary pads in the future).

Students pose with their certificates after successfully completing the training while wearing their piece of cloth that was given to them as gift

You know how Malawi is one of the hottest nations in southern Africa, with temperatures reaching all the way up to 48°C in some regions? You will find people walking around with just vests and shorts and others just bluntly go topless (and I’m not only talking about the men). Well, whoever was passing out this memo forgot to include the district of Dedza.

To put it frankly, Dedza’s weather is crazy. At best, the district is warm. But even in warm weather, where the sun is out, it’s still windy and you have to carry a sweater with you just for good measure. Now, picture Dedza in the cold winter months of June and July and you’ve got Moscow in Malawi. Alright, a bit of exaggeration but you get the drift. ​Dedza weather is crazy. You wake up in the morning and you immediately wish you hadn’t. You start cursing the day you signed up to work. It’s 8:00 in the morning but it’s still dark outside with no sun in sight. Gloves and any headgear that covers your ears is a must, especially when you’ve got ears like Dumbo, like I do. You walk out and immediately your body starts shivering. Did I say, Dedza weather is crazy?

Now, this being my first time spending an extended period of time in Dedza, I thought well, this surely can’t get any worse. Ha! Joke's on me. It was as if Dedza had accepted my challenge. Out of nowhere, the skies opened up and it decided to rain. Now I’m not talking about little drizzles flying around. No, I’m talking full on rain pouring down. Cold, windy, icy rain. I was nowhere near prepared. I didn’t expect this.

So, this is me basically telling anyone who is thinking of spending some time in Dedza, to not forget to pack up every single warm thing you have. You’re going to need it. Never has a hot water bottle to sleep with at night looked more attractive.

When I was selected to become a CorpsAfrica Volunteer in September 2017, I had so many expectations. After completing Pre-Service Training (PST) my expectations kept on increasing. I was days away from being deployed and boy did I have a list full of what I would expect once I got there. You know what excitement plus fear does to you. Your brain automatically switches and all you think about is how you will behave, how the people will look at you, and what projects you intend on doing. You have so many ideas that you smile ridiculously and tell yourself that, “I’ve got this.” Had I known in the beginning what really comes with serving as a Volunteer I may have thought differently. So, here’s three things a future CorpsAfrica Volunteer should not expect once they have just been deployed to site.

1 - Projects to go just as planned.Do not go into the community with projects already articulated in your brain. Do not expect to tell your community what to do. It's suicide. Do not have expectations on what projects your community will want to do, but instead go in with a clear mind. Have a clean slate. Do not expect a project to just develop in the first month of deployment either. In fact, just go there with a blank mind and focus on integration first. Build relationships and trust first. Get to know your community and its members. Trust me, once this is done, project ideas will flow on their own from the members themselves.

2 - Your idea of the perfect site.Have you ever had assumptions in your head about life in a rural community? Those assumptions are probably both true and not true. We think that we have it all figured out about how life in the village will be when we get deployed to our sites. How unbearable it is to live in a house with no electricity, no internet, and no running water. Well it is true. It’s difficult. There is no 3G, no running water, and no electricity….or at least sometimes! To your surprise, for example, network at my site-mate Twambi’s community is terrible, but another Volunteer, Ruth, has the fastest internet at her site! Volunteer Dingaan has no electricity at his house, but Volunteer Ireen has power 24/7. Volunteer Sylvester lives five minutes away from the beautiful Lake Malawi, while my site is surrounded by beautiful mountains. My point is that no one has it easy, but no one suffers terribly either, so do not go thinking you will end up at your perfect site because it may not happen.

3 - An evenly balanced work load.Once you complete PST your brain is now loaded with a lot of information and all you want to do is put this information to use. Once you arrive at site, do not expect to have things to do every day but don’t expect to be idle either. There are days where you get so busy it’s tiring. When you long for a nap but do not even have the time to close your eyes. Other times your work plan is flexible. You get less busy and can finally get that nap. All you need to do is plan your week or even your month in advance so that you do not choke. Find something in your community that drives you to wake up every morning to do more and lend a hand when needed.